Sergiño Dest is finally fulfilling his potential with the USMNT, right in time for the World Cup
The U.S. team's tactics in its World Cup warmup win over Senegal let Dest show the full range of his talents as a wingback. And the game gave him and the team as a whole a big boost of confidence.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — It did not take the goal Sergiño Dest scored against Senegal on Sunday to prove how well he fits the U.S. men’s soccer team’s tactics.
But it had taken a long time before then, because of how many games he missed because of injuries: a torn ACL in April 2024, a long rehab process after that, then minor injuries last October and March.
Now, the 25-year-old is fit and thriving in the role he has long seemed ticketed for: the right wingback slot in the 3-4-2-1 formation the Americans played in Sunday’s 3-2 win.
“Amazing,” he said Wednesday as he met with the media and reflected on the game. “I think it’s really important that we win the friendly games ahead of the World Cup because it just gives everybody better motivation, and everybody’s more hyped.”
Many observers hope it’s the main setup at the World Cup, and Dest’s place is a major reason.
“I think so as well,” he said. “At the beginning, we had to adapt a little bit, but for me personally, it suits me pretty well. And, I mean, the coach is the one who decides, you know — so we have to adapt if you want to or not.”
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Fortunately, Dest was happy to do so. The right wingback role with a three-centerback defense has some subtle differences from a right back role in a four-defender line. But those differences play to Dest’s strengths because they give him (and left-side counterpart Antonee Robinson) more freedom to get up the flanks.
“I always like to attack, and in this way I can attack a little bit more,” Dest said.
You also have to have strong defensive chops to do the job well, of course. As Dest implied, one-on-one defending isn’t his strongest suit, but in the 3-4-2-1, he can team up with a right-side centerback like Alex Freeman or Mark McKenzie.
On Sunday it was Freeman’s job, and that added another level of intrigue. He has played right back and centerback in his career, so he has extra insight into how Dest does his job.
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“I think we have a good combination on the right side — I like to play with him as well,” he said. “He’s strong, he’s tall, he’s fast, and a good defender, and also we can switch sometimes. That makes it even better if I’m on that side because I can also go low and just change with him, so it’s harder for opponents to defend us because we’re more dynamic.”
Both the result and the style on Sunday gave the U.S. team a welcome shot of confidence.
“We had a great chance, and obviously Senegal, for me they’re the champions of Africa,” Dest said, a nod to the controversy over their Africa Cup of Nations title. “I think we’re very confident, and I don’t think we’re going to change anymore. I think it’s too late to change any formations or whatever. I think this is it, and we’ve got to get the best out of it.”
In fairness, USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t officially settled on a formation yet, and he might not tell the media if he does. Dest’s point was clear, though, and many fans will agree with him.
‘Just as American as the rest of us’
Dest brings a story to this U.S. team that is as diverse as his play. He grew up in Almere, Netherlands, to a Surinamese American father and Dutch mother.
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His first steps in soccer came in the youth academy of local club Almere City. In 2012, he joined the world-renowned academy of Ajax in Amsterdam. After six years in the youth system and one with the reserves, he reached Ajax’s first team in 2019.
Along the way, he had played for U.S. under-17 and under-20 teams, including at the 2017 under-17 and 2019 under-20 World Cups. But now he was in a bigger spotlight, and the Netherlands program was interested.
Dest picked the U.S. in late 2019, admitting it wasn’t easy, but his heart’s choice was clear. He has been great when on the field, but injuries mean fans have only seen him in a U.S. jersey 38 times.
Now he is healthy, in form, and ready to leave the bumpy road the U.S. took to get here behind.
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“We had great moments that everybody had great trust and belief again because we were winning, and then sometimes we lost against better opponents,” Dest said. “So I feel like it’s ups and downs, but at the end, I think this is what matters. And, if you have a great run this tournament, I think everybody will forget about the process before.”
He is one of a few people on this team who haven’t lived here full-time but have American citizenship through family ties. Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman are some other examples on this World Cup team.
They might not have lived the day-to-day buildup toward the tournament that players in MLS do, or players who grew up at U.S. clubs and have moved to Europe. But U.S. captain and centerback Tim Ream gave a robust defense of their Americanness.
“OK, they’ve spent most, if not all, of their — I’ll call them young — lives in Europe,” the 38-year-old said, not minding a little self-deprecation. “But they are just as American as the rest of us, and they feel that, and they feel the energy, they feel the ramp-up of the intensity and the excitement of hosting that. It’s no different to to myself or Christian [Pulisic] or Tyler [Adams] or Chris [Richards, all of whom are U.S.-born].
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Dest said he feels the energy of the moment, with the U.S.’s opener just over a week away.
“It just motivates me extra — you always want to win in this tournament but now even more,” he said. “And I think we already had a great start in the [Senegal] game in Charlotte. The fans, to be honest, I was pretty surprised because I haven’t seen that many U.S. fans yet [in prior games].”
He hopes to feel it again on Saturday, when the U.S. plays Germany at a sold-out Soldier Field in Chicago (2:30 p.m., TBS, Telemundo 62). Then it will be off to California, the site of so many American dreams over generations, to try to make it one for this generation too.
Nine nations will compete in five group stage matches this summer, plus two more in a knockout game on July 4. Here’s what you need to know about those countries — and what those fans need to know about Philly. Click here for more.
